By Yijing Shen, Distribution Manager
West Liberty University welcomed 24 new faculty members to the 2018–2019 academic year.
“It’s nice to see the new faces on campus, it’s also nice to see how they would bring new education in West Liberty University,” said junior broadcasting major Walker Polivka.
Dr. Jeffrey B. Grubbs, Associate Professor of Art Education, is originally from Harrison, Ohio. As a fully experienced professor, Grubbs has been in art education for 19 years, and coming back home is one of the reasons he chose to teach in West Liberty University.
“I have been to different universities, and I decided that I’d like to come back home. I have lived in Colorado, Arkansas, New York, and my family is from Cincinnati. I wanted to come back into my field, be a professor again, and be a little closer to home,” Grubbs said.
Grubbs cares about students, he recognized WLU’s size as a strength for the students.
“I think the students in West Liberty University have a better chance to succeeding, especially in the undergraduate level,” said Grubbs. “To be honest, the smaller school like this gives more student-centered services. We could pay attention to students more. Students will be called on their behaviors way before they get to the point of failing out of the school. It’s one of the strengths of West Liberty University being a small school.”
Instructor of Communication Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell focuses her teaching in communication field and broadcasting. She has been teaching communication for more than 11 year.
“The communication department is fabulous. I feel like there are good groups of colleagues to work with, they are very resourceful, and they are good interacting with me as a new faculty member too. Our communication department is looking at putting some possible new spins on classes, I think it’s going to be great,” Mehlman-Brightwell said.
Mehlman-Brightwell felt proud of WLU students being active in their major studies, and she believed it’s important. “I think students are very studious here, my students have been turning their work in on time, everyone is doing a very good job. And they are highly involved, a lot of students are actually videotaping the football game, they are doing voice violation with Professor Lee, so I feel like they are getting lots of hands on experience by doing different avenues in different places,” said Mehlman-Brightwell.
The new faculty members are:
- Assistant Professor English Dr. Drew Banghart
- Assistant Professor of Early Intervention Dr. Hilary Bougher-Muckian
- Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Darrick Brake
- Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Stuart Cantlay
- Instructor of Biology Jeremiah Dann
- Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Stephen Deterding
- Assistant Professor of English Dr. Jen Fawkes
- Instructor of Nursing Victoria Forte
- Assistant Professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology Tori Gilbert
- Associate Professor of Art Education Dr. Jeffrey B. Grubbs
- Visiting Instructor of Social Work Rhonda Hayes
- Assistant Professor Mathematics Dr. Raymond Holsapple
- Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Danny R. Jones
- Assistant Professor of Criminology Dr. Lee Selye
- Instructor of Marketing Ingrid Loy
- Instructor of Nursing Loretta Marchetta
- Instructor of Communication Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Brian Nichols
- Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Holly Racine
- Assistant Professor of Creative Arts Therapy Dr. Susan Ridley
- Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Robert L. Roff
- Assistant Professor of Education Kenneth Sexton
- Instructor of Criminal Justice Hannah Walters
- Associate Professor of Art Herb Weaver
Photo Credit: Media Relations
